Please discuss several important ideas to remember when communicating with someone from a cultural and/or ethnic background that is different from your own. Why are they important and what are some ways that you can improve your own intercultural communication?
ReplyDeleteWhen communication with someone from a different ethnic background, it is important to take into consideration things we say that may make sense to us, but not to someone else. Using clichés, perhaps, like the early bird catches the worm, or it takes a community to raise a child. If a parent does not understand the language you are using, it can create quite the confusion. Besides paying attention to language choice, it would be particularly helpful to understand how the family views education and the importance they may or may not place on it. It is also helpful if you understand customs and holidays. If a student behaves a certain way because their culture accepts that, we need to be aware and understand those issues. I have a student who has a cultural background where women are generally not highly regarded. He thinks women shouldn't drive or be allowed to work. He has no respect for working women and therefore finds it difficult to bond with any of the female teachers. He traditionally will not speak to them or make eye contact. Knowing this is rooted in his cultural background and this is the perception of women in his culture, we are more understanding of "why" he behaves a certain way, but are working on modernizing him to American customs and views as well without making him feel as if his are wrong. I can improve my own intercultural communication by continuing to immerse myself in learning about different cultures and making certain that I take every chance to participate in conversations with people that have varied backgrounds to richen my experiences.
Good points. It is interesting how much our own culture influences how we talk, act, and even think.
ReplyDeleteWhen communicating with someone from a different background, it is always important to be aware of nonverbal communication that differs in that person’s culture. For example, some groups of people find eye contact offensive, whereas in our culture it means that a person is paying attention to you. In addition, it is essential to be aware of their perceptions of personal space. Different cultures have different norms for personal space. Do not feel overwhelmed if the person is closer than an American would be when speaking with you. It is probably best to talk about neutral topics instead of religion and politics. However, if the subject comes up, always maintain an open mind to their perceptions and ideas. It is very valuable to be familiar with beliefs other than your own. Lastly, if you are unsure of a norm in their culture, do not be afraid to ask. It is better to ask, then assume and offend the person. At my school, we have a wide variety of languages, customs, and beliefs. My goal has always been to learn more about other backgrounds besides my own. Very often, I ask my students for information about their own holidays, foods, and words in their languages. Other times I simply search the internet to find out more about my students’ backgrounds, especially those pertaining to Islam.
ReplyDeleteExcellent points, Lisa. It is important to realize about proximity, eye contact and the non verbal communication. Sometimes we overlook those differences.
DeleteI like your idea of being direct and just asking about cultural differences. I think that most people would be happy to explain why they do the things they do and how their culture differs from yours.
ReplyDeleteWhen communicating with others from different cultural backgrounds, the best thing to do is educate yourself. Do some research or even simply ask the person to explain their customs or beliefs. Learn about the greetings, goodbye's, food, clothes, and language. I think that not only will others respect you more, but you may learn a lot about your interests if you are willing to try something new. I think it is extremely important to not belittle others' beliefs, even if you do not necessarily agree with them. Additionally, I think it is important to understand that your communication with someone from a different cultural background may be difficult at first, and that is okay. It is important to not to get disheartened or distressed. Good communication will come from learning over time and asking questions. As an educator, it is pretty important that I continue to grow and learn from my students who come from very different cultural backgrounds. I want them to feel that I genuinely care and want to learn more about their backgrounds and cultures. Every year we have a "Heritage Day" in my classroom in which we bring in foods and other traditions to celebrate our cultures. In order to increase my intercultural communication, I will continue to learn from my students by asking questions and including their cultures as a part of our learning.
ReplyDeleteGrowing and learning from out students is a great way to become more culturally aware...we must continually ask the important questions.
DeleteI agree with Colleen that the most important thing to do before communicating with someone who has a different cultural background is to be knowledgeable about his or her culture. If you research their culture before communicating with them, it will be very beneficial. Knowing about certain customs may help you gain respect from the person, and can also help you understand and respect their culture. Additionally, when speaking with someone who is culturally diverse, it is important to remember basic communication techniques such as maintaining eye contact, using gestures, positive body language, avoiding slang or jargon that might be misinterpreted, and also summarizing what you have said. All of these things will allow for a positive interaction with the person who you are communicating with, and will allow that person to feel more comfortable.
ReplyDeleteYes- using basic communication techniques is key!
DeleteWhen communicating with someone from a culture that is different than ours it is always important to remember that not everyone has the same cultural manners as you. In some cultures it is inappropriate to maintain eye contact while conversing with someone. It can be difficult to communication with others from different cultures because you never truly know what is common or appropriate for them compared to what is appropriate for you. I know that different cultures have different rules about proper communication. Body language is very important when communicating with others. People can pick up on your mood or vibe just by observing your body language. I remember watching a movie where someone patted a young child's head. Those around him were from the Asian culture and found that very offensive. I have taught a few students from different cultures and found that researching their background or even talking with their parents and establishing rapport can help when trying to communicate successfully. By doing this you will have some background knowledge as how to best communicate with parents and students and possibly even reasons as to why a student behaves a certain way.
ReplyDeleteResearching your students' backgrounds is a great first place to start so that you can teach with understanding.
DeleteWhen communicating with others from different cultural backgrounds it is important to remember to always be considerate, kind, and do not judge. Some of us may carry misinformation about different cultures and will stereotype those people. Especially, when we are young, we acquire information in bits and pieces from social media, TV, listening to other people talk. We have to remember we live in a diverse world today and we need to accept and relate to others with different ethnicity. As an educator today I will do my best to immerse myself in becoming more educated with different cultures and their backgrounds in order for me to better communicate the needs of the students.
ReplyDeleteColleen - I love the idea of "Heritage Day". My son's school did that and it was in the evening so all of the families could participate and try other foods from other countries. It was really great. Each student made a poster as well with all of the information from their country. Ryan choose Ireland and we brought Irish Soda bread.
I love your 'do not judge' statement- this is so critical.
DeleteLori you are so right about getting misinformation from tv and social media which are loaded with bias.
DeleteI have met so many people from different cultural backgrounds. It is funny how we judge a book by it's cover. Sometimes we look at someone and they look like us or don't and we make assumptions regarding them. I have a friend who could be my sister visually when she speaks you know that she is not from here. So many people are taken aback by her accent. They also smile and nod alot not really understanding what she is saying. She has learned that many times people don't understand her and she will say, " do you understand?" Many times people will laugh with a sigh of relief and say no can you repeat that but other times people just look uncomfortable. I think we need to be sure to not hurt someones feelings but let them know that you are having trouble understanding them. Sometimes we try so hard not to embarrass someone or ourselves by admitting we don't understand them and that it creates more harm then just being honest.
ReplyDeleteIn regards to holidays, our school celebrates all holidays that the children in our school celebrate. We always invite parents in to explain the customs and traditons assoicated with the holiday. Several time we have had parents come in and cook something that they traditonally eat for the holiday. The children really enjoy this. It makes the children feel speical that part of their family life has been shared in class and the other children love going home telling their families all the new cool things they have learned about thier friend.
I think one of the hardest things to do is to tell a person that you do not understand them but it is important to be honest so that real communication can occur.
DeleteI have learned that one of the best ways to communicate with someone of a different cultural or ethnic background is to begin with a positive note. Whether you are responding virtually online or face to face, it is always to begin the conversation as positive as possible. For example, if a parent or co-worker emails me, I begin by thanking them for their comments and appreciating the time they took to send me an email. Sometimes it can be a real struggle at times if an email is negative, but if you can fight that resistance and stay positive, the communication remains more on task and more effective. People of different Cultures and ethnic backgrounds may have different ways of saying what they mean or how they interpret. If you keep the message positive, there is a possibility they may correct themselves. For example, by staying positive, a response I received from a parent was, "I apologize for the directness of my previous email, I did not mean for it to come out that way, however, I was trying to express that...." and we were able to then come to a peaceful resolution. Communication is a key and important practice we as teachers practice every day in the classroom!
ReplyDeleteStarting out any conversation on a positive note is always a good way to begin. Then you can sandwich the hard stuff in the middle (like an oreo) and again end on a high note.
DeleteWhen communicating with someone from a different cultural/ethnic background it is important to be sensitive to his or her beliefs and customs. The first aspect you can consider is what is physically appropriate and accepted by them when reaching out. I have worked with families that do not have computers or access to the internet due to socioeconomic status. It is important to be sensitive and ensure they get the same contact and opportunities other students and parents do. Another aspect to consider is religious beliefs and customs that may be practiced in the home which would make the student stand out or different in class. For instance, I have had students who have very strict dietary restrictions due to culture and religion. I made sure whenever other students were bringing in treats or when I did it was something all students could have access to. It is important to embrace differences, and even if you do not agree with them, do not make students feel different or unwelcome. Yet another aspect to consider is language barriers that may be presented due to ethnic background/cultural differences. I work with a large population of students and families who speak English as a second language. It is important to enlist the help of a third party that can help with the communication so nothing gets lost in translation and the student does not suffer due to this barrier.
ReplyDeleteSome ways I might improve my own intercultural communication is by reading up on the customs of different ethnic groups. Even just speaking to the ELL teacher about what goes on in the homes of my students so I can be empathetic and understanding of their situations and the expectations of the families can be a huge help.
Your key theme- embracing differences- I love it!
ReplyDeleteThere are a lot of great ideas that have already been shared. When considering what is most important I believe you must be intentional about educating yourself, and then you must be sensitive with that knowledge. Where I grew up was not very diverse, and I had to intentionally learn about different cultures through research or by asking questions. As with anything, it is important to be aware that other people's ideas may not always align with your own- and that is often because of culture. I would never want to offend or upset someone because of my own lack of knowledge.
ReplyDeleteI can remember a time where I accidentally did something culturally insensitive. A few years ago, I was tutoring at a local library. One of my students attended a Seventh Day Adventist school and his family was extremely religious. Since I was his math tutor, religion did not really come up and I never really took the time to understand what his families beliefs were. During Halloween week, I made all of my students Halloween-themed treat baggies. When I offered this particular student one, he kindly refused. Later, his mom explained that Halloween was not recognized in their faith. She was very kind and sensitive to my mistake. Ever since then, I have tried to be much more intentional when I know I am going to be working with someone who comes from a different culture than my own.
I too had a Seventh Day Adventist student in one of my classes and it can be so difficult to be culturally sensitive since holidays are such a big part of our culture.
DeleteWe need to remember that culture does not just refer to only race or ethnicity. It can also refer to the community someone lives in or socioeconomic status, among others. I remember reading a teacher blog about back to school/returning from a school break. The blogger made a valid point about about getting to know your students backgrounds. In her blog she recalled her time as student in elementary school and how she always hated the first day back at school from a break. The teacher, well intentioned as it was, always had the students go around the room and tell about all the amazing things that they did over break. She goes on to explain that her family was very poor and she never went on vacations, or to the movies or theme parks, etc. After reading this blog I realized that I too was guilty of this sharing policy. I grew up in a middle class family who could afford to do fun thing during break and it never occurred to me that the reason a student didn't want to share was because they had nothing to share. This blog opened my eyes and since then I use break sharing as a journal activity so no one is made to feel bad if they did not have an experience to share.
ReplyDeleteLindsey, you make a very valid point- being culturally sensitive goes far beyond race and culture.
DeleteLindsey, I like your perspective on the spectrum of things that we have to be sensitive to when it comes to our students.
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ReplyDeleteWhen communicating with someone that has a different culture or ethnicity than you it is important to remember that some people value things more than others. Everyone believes in something whether it is with church, work ethics, or how to raise their children. I think people should be sensitive and not be so judgmental to other people’s beliefs and values when communicating, collaborating, or in confrontation with another person.
I do believe that people judge others too soon whether it is with how they live, look, or speak. I think by talking to people and really getting to know someone is the best way to improve your intercultural communication.
I agree with your statement that people are far to quick to judge others before they get to know them.
DeleteI agree with your statement that people are far to quick to judge others before they get to know them.
DeleteI really appreactiate everyone's comments and suggestions. They are very valid and worthy of attention and consideration. I would also include thinking about "culture" not only as ethnicity and race. as Lindsey pointed out. I am a self-contained special education teacher. My culture is very different from that of the special education inclusion teacher in my building. Also, I teach 5th-8th, but am more closely related to the Junioe High in my building rather than the primary. The culture between the primary grade teahers and the junior high teachers is very different. With that said, I think it goes beyond considering the cultures of others when communication or collaborating with others. In general we should all be open to the many differences we may encounter, wheter they be with our students, their families or our very own co-workers. Be aware that each person has an opinion or vaule based on their personal experiences or lack thereof and that you can gain some valuable insight or meaning from those opinions and perspectives even if they differ from your own.
ReplyDeleteRespecting others values and insights is so important, especially when they are different than your own.
DeleteRespecting others values and insights is so important, especially when they are different than your own.
DeleteIt is important to recognize any possible language barriers between the staff and the family when communicating with someone from a different cultural background. For example, one of the students in our program has parents that speak Polish as their primary language. There needs to be an interpreter at this student's IEP meetings to ensure that the family's concerns are voiced and that they understand the message being sent. I also want to touch on the difference in culture in my school not focused on race or ethnicity. The difference between programming in my school is astronomical. These cultures include the following: Transition teachers, Crossroads teachers, Pathways teachers, paraprofessionals, therapists, and Bridges teachers. We all work with such different populations of students and we all have completely unique scheduling, responsibilities, and staffing. It is important to recognize that I am a part of my own culture in my school community. Also, it is important to recognize your own personal beliefs, values, and morals prior to trying to understand an others. It is essential to participate in home and community visits to gain a better understanding of your students home life and cultural background.
ReplyDeleteWe all must know ourself before we can possibly begin to understand and empathize with others.
DeleteI have enjoyed everyone's ideas and advice. I teach in a diverse school. I have had to learn about certain social norms of other cultures. I learned that people from other cultures might have entirely differently value systems than mine, but still not be explicitly wrong. Different cultures have different norms regarding what personal space is public and private.The most important cultural difference I learned about was eye contact. Eye contact is less common, and considered less appropriate than in Western cultures. There are strict gender rules, whereby women should not make too much eye contact with men as it could be misconstrued as a romantic interest. I had to learn to respect that at IEP meetings with the parents of my students.
ReplyDeleteYes, eye contact is very different in different cultures- I'm glad you brought up this important cultural difference!
DeleteWell I think it’s really important to know or understand how they greet one another. For example, kissing on the cheek is very common among certain ethic groups but some groups; this would be inappropriate and uncomfortable. It may be important to keep in mind our body language. We may be sending a different kind of message from what we are saying and again this message could be offensive to somebody from a different culture, so we need to be aware of what our body language may be saying. The use of sarcasm or slang may be offensive to some. What we find as funny or clever, may be insulting to someone from a different culture. I can improve my own intercultural communication by keeping all of the above in mind, and paying attention to the body language of others and what is being said. I could probably read whether or not, I’m being disrespectful to another person and their culture.
ReplyDeleteAnnette
Greetings and body language are two big cultural issues we should all become more aware of.
ReplyDeleteI work in Cicero Illinois; where the community is comprised of mostly Hispanic people. It is was difficult for me at first to become accustomed to the cultural differences and different traditions that the students have for many different things. I was lucky enough to have a fellow staff member help me out in many situations. For instance, a student that is from a traditional Latino family will not look you in the eye when they feel that they have done something wrong. I started talking with the students and the staff to learn as much as possible about different cultural differences that way have impacted the students’ success in the classroom. I would suggest to anyone that they do their homework and find out as much as you can about the culture you are working with in the school.
ReplyDeleteDoing your homework is great advice!
ReplyDeleteDoing your homework is great advice!
ReplyDeleteWhen communicating with different cultures it is important to think about the customs of that culture. All cultures have their rules of communication and taking these into account when communicating allows for the communication to be totally received. If you are unknowingly offending someone they will not take in what you are saying and communication is lost. It is also important when communicating with someone of a different culture to let them know if they are breaking some of these rules. They probably don't realize they are doing it and by letting them know they can be a more successful communicator in the future.
ReplyDeleteCommunication between people from different cultures is tricky. Letting people know they are 'breaking the rules" must be done with caution and humility.
DeleteCommunication between people from different cultures is tricky. Letting people know they are 'breaking the rules" must be done with caution and humility.
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